Starter device



June 9, 1931. V BRQWNLEE 1,809,017

STARTER DEVICE Filed Oct. 20, 1927 ATTORNEY.

1-5 engine attaining sufficient speed the pinion Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DALMAR T. BROWNLEE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA STARTER DEVICE Application filed October 20, 1927.

f an improved starter device of simple construction, in the operation of which a pinion while not revolving is manually shifted into engagement with a gear wheel of an engine, immediately rotation is started, and upon the is automatically withdrawn from the gear wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved starter device which shall Y so be of such construction as to be capable of unfailing and long continued operation and without causing damage or rapid wear to the teeth of a gear wheel.

A further object is to provide an improved 25 engine starting appliance of the above-mentioned character, suitable for use in connection with an electric starting motor and having a pinion that is automatically withdrawn from the engine gear wheel before the rapid e rotation of the latter can drive the motor armature at excessive speed and disrupt the motor armature windings.

A still further object is to provide an eflicient device consisting of a small number of i 33 parts, not requiring a high degree of accuracy in manufacture, and of low cost of production.

l/Vith the above-mentioned and other ob jects in view, the invention consists in con- 140 trolled automatically acting apparatus for controlling actions of a pinion to start rotation of a gear wheel, the invention including a novel screw controller and mountings and controlling apparatus therefor; the invention consisting also further in the parts and ings,-Figure 1 is a longitudinal central sec- Serial No. 227,527.

tion, partially in elevation, showing a device constructed substantially in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but showing the various parts in position for operation; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the relative positions of various parts following operation; Fig. 4 is an end view; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the screw nut comprising part of the invention; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the housing of the screw device; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the housing. 7

Similar reference characters in the various figures of the drawings indicate corresponding elements or features of construction herein referred to in detail.

As an illustration of the starter device in connection with a motor-vehicle a portion of the housing of a suitable electric silarter motor 1 is illustrated, the motor having a drive shaft which for the purposes of the present invention comprises a main portion 2 and a guide portion 3 of relatively smaller diameter resulting in a shoulder t at the end of the main portion. A portion of an engine fly-wheel 5 having gear wheel teeth 6 is shown as being in proximity to the uide portion of the shaft which may be and usually is a portion of the motor armature shaft. A guide arm 7 may be found on the starter motor housing or may be applied thereto and it has a hanger portion 8 provided with a suitable hearing member 9 which supports and guides the shaft portion 3 adjacent to the end thereof. A housing is provided which preferably comprises a hollow cylindrical casing portion 10 having a head 11 which is closely fitted slidingly on the shaft main portion 2 and rotated thereby by means of a spline 12, the cylindrical or casing portion of the h ousing extending about the guide portion of the shaft. The exterior of the housing has two opposite collars 13 and 14 thereon whereby to longitudinally move and control the housing, and the interior of the cylindrical portion has a suitable number of lugs 15 projecting inward from the casing wall. A sleeve 16 is fitted to slide and to rotate on the guide portion 3 of the shaft and may be moved back tion screw threads, each thread having a.

front face 18 that is approximately at right angles to the axis of rotation of the sleeve, the back or opposite side of each thread having an approximately conical clutch face 19' adapted to serve as a pushmember, the

pitch of the threads corresponding to that commonly designated as a long lead or rapid screw thread, and a toothed pinion 20 is see cured to the sleeve adjacent to the, outer or forward end thereof, preferably meansof keys 21, the pinion being movable by the sleeve into mesh with the teeth 6 of the fly wheel. A nut 22 which is externally cylindrical is fitted into the casing portion 10 and has lugs 23 on its inner end that engage thelugs 15, the nut having an externally smaller portion 2 1 that is-diametrically less than the casing so that a shoulder 25 is, pro vided against which a split retaining ring26 is placed that is inserted into a, suitable groove in the inner side of the casing wall,

the ring securing the nutin the casing so that both rotate together. The nut has integral screw threads corresponding to the threads on the screw, each thread having ascrew face 27 that is approximately perpendicular or on an angle of 90 degrees, adapted to co.- operate with the fro-nt face 18, the threads having a broad sloping back face 28 to make a clutch-like contact with the back face 19 of the screw thread on the shifting sleeve 16, so that when the nut face 28 is pressed against the conical face 19 of the screw threads there is a clutching aetionthat prevents rotation of the screw in the nut, but if the face 27 be pressed against the opposite face 18 the screw will readily rotate and move longitudinally in the nut.

For the purpose of controlling the operations of the starter device, preferably acontrolling rod 29 is slidingly supportedby the arm 7 and particularly by the guide portion 8, a shifter head 30 is movably guided on the rod and has a shifter fork or yoke 31 thereon that operates between and in con nection with the collars 13 and 1 1 whereby the screw housing is moved and controlled. A coil spring 32 is arranged on the rod and seated on the head 30 and the inner side of the guide portion 8 of the arm, and another coil spring 33 that is stronger than thespring 32 is seated against the opposite'end of the head 30 and against a collar 34 which is secured to the rod 29. A stop pin 35 is secured to a side portion of the arm 7 to be engaged by the fork 31, but the stop pin generator 41 with which a: circuit wire 12 is connected that is suitably connected with the motor. The controlling rod 29 may be moved by any well-known. or desired means, such as a foot lever or plunger suitable for pushing the rod forward. hen the rod 29 is in retracted position as in Fig. 1 the tension on the: spring 33 is slight sothat the weaker spring 32 acting on the head 30 holds the screw housing backto a position from: which it may beadvanced in operation, the housing and the devices therein holding the pinion 20 away from the engine fly wheelgear teeth.

7 In. practical use, the relative positions, of the variouselements being approximately as shown in 1, the starting motor being at rest, upon forward movement of the rod 29 the spring 33 pushes the. shifter head. 3O for- .ward whereby the casing 10 is moved forward, the lugs 15 in the casing causing forward movement of the nut 22', and the long backs 28 of the nut threads being in clutchlike engagement withthe long inclined backs 19 of the threads on the sleeve 16- causes for- .ward pushing movement of the sleeve onv the guide portion- 3 of the motor'sha ft, the sleeve carrying the pinion into engagement with the teeth on the flywheel 5 which is tobe Started: 'In: case the teeth of the pinion are stopped against the adjacent ends of the teeth. 6 so-that the teeth do not mesh, further forward movement of the rod 29 further'compresses the-spring 33, carries the switch 36 to the contactdevicesso-as to close the electrical circuit which results in the starting of the motor, a small fraction of revolution of the motor shaftas itvsta'rtsoperation. causing rotationof the housing, the sleeve 16 and the: pinion 20'so that the teeth of the pinion become dislodged and are suddenly carried by expansion ofthe spring 33-into mesh with the teeth 6, the pinion then starting the flywheel of the internal. combustion engine. Driving of the pinion is assured by the co operating lugs 15' and 17. lVhen the engine starts operation and attains moderate speed the fly-wheel momentarily turns the pinion at a greater speed than the starting motor .shaft, which results in'rotary movement of the screw operating in the nut which withdraws the pinion from the fly-wheel before the motor shaft can attain sucha high speed that mightcause explosion or damage to the motor armature. The sleeve 16 is carried back into contact with or approximately to the shoulder 4;, as appearing in Fig. 3, and upon retraction of the rod 29 the electric circuit is broken and causes'stoppage of the starting motor. On retraction of the rod the tension on the spring 33 is relieved so that the weaker spring 32 forces the head 30 and the housing casing 10 rearward relatively to the sleeve 16 to the position seen in Fig. 1, the sleeve being stopped against the shoulder 4, leaving the apparatus in condition for another operation with the pinion 2O properly located forward of the housing. Because of the long lead of the screw threads the longitudinal movement of the housing causes slippage of the nut threads on the screw threads with consequent rotary movement of the sleeve 16, thus permittin the retraction of the housing relatively to the pinion and to the initial position.

What is claimed asnew is:

1. A starter device having a rotary drive shaft and a sleeve with a pinion fixed thereon, the sleeve being free on the shaft for moving longitudinally forward to carry the pinion to a gear wheel, manually controlled housing and coupling means enabling the shaft to rotate the sleeve under control of the housing to turn the wheel, and interconnected screw devices about the sleeve operating upon rotation Of the wheel at increased speed to thrust the sleeve backward from the wheel at high speed and rotating at increased speed.

2. A starter device apparatus having a plurality of co-related elements comprising a housing having screw threads therein and asleeve operating in the housing and having screw threads thereon in connection with the threads in the housing, each thread having a screw face widely separated from the screw faces of adjacent threads and a slightly inclined clutch face back having a width fully twice as great as the depth of the screw face, and a pinion fixed to the sleeve.

3. A starter device having a sleeve provided with a screw member having an opposite clutch and push face, a drive shaft guiding the sleeve, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, and a controlling casing splined to the shaft to rotate the sleeve and provided with clutch means to engage the clutch and push face on the screw member to advance the sleeve on the shaft, and provided also with means to guide the screw member upon increased rotary speed of the sleeve to retract the sleeve.

4. A starter device having a sleeve provided with alternately arranged clutch faces and screw faces, a rotary drive shaft guiding the sleeve for movement each relatively to the other, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, a controlling casing rotating with the drive shaft and longitudinally movable thereon, the casing being provided with alternately arranged clutch faces and screw faces to co-operate with the clutch faces and the screw faces respectively of the sleeve, and means enabling the casing to rotate the sleeve.

5. A starter device having a housing and a sleeve movable therein with a rotary shaft guiding both the housing and the sleeve, the housing being rotated with the shaft, means to longitudinally move the housing on the shaft, means to rotate the sleeve with the housing, means tolongitudinally move the sleeve forward with the housing, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, and means toguide the sleeve longitudinallybackward and rotatably within the housing upon rotation of the pinion at a greater speed than the shaft.

6. A starter device including a housing and a sleeve therein adapted to be rotatably supported and longitudinally guided, the housing and the sleeve being provided with cooperating screw threads and also means enabling the housing to rotate the sleeve, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, a controlling means supported for longitudinal movement, a shifter movably guided on the controlling means and provided with a fork having controlling connection with the housing, a supported spring seated on the rear end of the shifter, and a relatively weaker supported spring seated on the opposite end of the shifter.

7. A starter device including a rotatable housing, a drive shaft guiding and rotating the housing and permitting longitudinal movement of the housing, the shaft having a stop shoulder, means to move and control the housing, a sleeve guided on the shaft to be moved to or from the shoulder thereon and having a plurality of screw threads thereon, each thread having an approximately rightangled front face and a relatively broader conical back face, a nut locked in the housing and having opposite screw threads engaging the treads on the sleeve, means enabling the housing to rotate the sleeve, and a pinion fixed to the sleeve.

8. A starter device having a housing, a sleeve in the housing, a toothed pinion fixed to the sleeve, a rotary drive shaft guiding the housing and the sleeve and having a shoulder to be engaged by the back end of the sleeve, the housingbeing rotated by the shaft and rotating the sleeve but permitting the sleeve to be rotated in the housing at a higher speed than the housing, means to control longitudinal movement of the housing on the shaft, and co-operating means associated with the sleeve and the housing enabling the housing to push the sleeve forward along the shaft and also enabling the housing toforce the sleeve backward along the shaft with rotary motion at higher speed than the shaft.

9. In a starter device, the combination of a movable housing, a sleeve movable in the housing, a rotary shaft to rotate the housing and guide the sleeve, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, means to move the housing, means to enable the housing to rotate the sleeve, and a combined pushing and screwing apparatus in cooperation with the housing and the sleeve for controlling the movements of the sleeve.

10. In a starter device, the combination of a rotary drive shaft, a housing splined' onto the shaft and having a plurality of combination screw and push threads therein, each thread having a screw face and also a conical back face of clutch-angle contour, a rotary sleeve movable on the shaft and also in the housing in co-operation therewith and having a plurality of combination screw and push threads thereon, each thread having a screw face and also a conical back face of clutch-angle contour to operate in connection with the threads in the housing, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, and co-operating control devices to connect the housing with the sleeve.

11. In a starter device, the combination of a pinion, hollow housing provided therein with controllin v means having co-operating clutch apparatus to non-rotatably carrythe pinion to an advanceo position to start rotation of a fly-wheel, said apparatus having cooperating screw faces, a motor and means to rotate the housing and controlling means, means to control the movement of the housing and controlling means to control operation of said screw faces and thereby efiect rapid rotary return of the pinion from the fly-wheel at greater speed than the housing upon increased rotary motion of the fly wheel, an open electrical circuit for the motor, and means automatically cooperating with the controlling means to control and to close the circuit automatically upon engagement of the pinion with the fly-wheel.

12'. In a starter device, the combination, with a rotary drive shaft, and a toothed engine fly-wheel adjacent to the end of the shaft, of a housing and a sleeve movable longitudinally on the shaft, the housing being rotated by the shaft andv adapted to rotate the sleeve, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, devices on the sleeve and the housing coopersting to non-rotatably push the sleeve forward to carry the pinionto the fly-wheel and to automatically thrust the sleeve back while rotating at higher speed than the shaft upon increase of speed of the fly-wheel imparted to the pinion, and means to yieldingly push the housing towards the fly-wheel.

13. In a starter devi e, the combination, with rotary drive shaft. and a toothed engine fly-wheel adjacent to the end of the shaft, of a controlling housing longitudinally movable on the drive shaft and rotated thereby, a sleeve movable rotatively and longitudinally on the shaft and partially in the housing, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, co-operating devices in the housing to push the sleeve forward non-rotatively i to engagement with the fly-wheel and to rapidly thrust the sleeve back with rotary motion at greater speed than the shaft upon increased speed being imparted by the fly-wheel to the pinion, means to limit movements of the sleeve longitudinally, and means to control the housing.

let. In a starter device, the combination with a rotarydrive shaft, and an engine gear wheel, of a sleeve on the shaft having a quickaction screw, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, ahousing splined to the shaft, a nut secured in the housing to be rotated thereby and having rapid-action threads in connection with said screw to push the sleeve for carrying the pinion to the gear wheel and to rapidly guide the sleeve back upon increase of speed of the gear wheel, means to control the housing, means to control the drive shaft to effect rotation thereof upon engagement of the pinion with tne gear wheel, and means enabling the housing to rot-ate the sleeve.

15. In a starter device, the combination of a rotary housing having a plurality of spiral dual-function devices therein, and. a rotary sleeve longitudinally movable in the housing and having a plurality of spiral dual-function devicesthereon, each of said devices having a broad clutch-like side adapted for pushing contact one with another enabling the housing to longitudinally move the sleeve forward without rotation of either, each of said devices having also an approximately ninety degree angle side face adapted for forcibly drawing the sleeve backward relatively to the housing during rotation of the sleeve, and a pinion fixed to the forward portion of the sleeve.

16. In a starter device, the combination, with an electric starter motor and its drive shaft, a toothed engine fly-wheel, and an open electrical circuit connected with the motor, of a sleeve movably guided on the drive shaft, a pinion fixed to the sleeve to be thereby carried to the fiy-wheel for starting rotation of the latter, controlling means rotated by the drive shaft to rotate the sleeve and provided with co-operating devices to clutch and push the sleeve non-rotatably to carry the pinion to the fly-wheel, said means including co-operating devices to rapidly return the sleeve with increased rotary motion upon increased rotary speed of the pinion imparted thereto by the fly-wheel, an electrical switch, and a controlled controlling device for the controlling means operatively connected therewith and operating switch automatically to close said circuit upon engagement of the pinion with theflywheel.

17. In a starter device, the combination, with a rotary drive shaft, of a housing longitudinally movable on the shaft to be rotated thereby, a sleeve movable on the shaft, and partially in the housing to be projected from the forward end of the housing, a pinion fixed to the sleeve, means to control longitudinally the 1 movement of the housing, eo-operating devices connected with the housing and the sleeve enabling the housing to push the sleeve non-rotatably when in projected position relatively to the housing and then to rotate the sleeve and enabling the housing to also rapidly withdraw the sleeve from the projected relation when the sleeve is rotated on the shaft at greater speed than the shaft, and means to stop the sleeve on its return movement and permit backward movement of the housing to effect the projected relation of the sleeve.

18. In a starter device, the combination, with a rotary drive shaft, and a toothed engine fly-wheel adjacent to the end of the shaft, of a sleeve movable longitudinally and rotatively on the shaft and having a clutch and push face and a screw face thereon, a pinion fixed to the sleeve to be carried thereby to engage the fly-wheel, a housing guided for longitudinal movement on the drive shaft and rotatable thereby, the housing having a device to rotate the sleeve when the latter is projected forward from the housing and being provided with a device to engage the clutch and push face for advancing the sleeve towards the fly-wheel, the housing having a device to engage the screw face for rapidly returning the sleeve along the shaft by rotary action of the sleeve upon increasin speed of the pinion imparted thereto by the fly-wheel, means to stop the backward movement of the sleeve on the shaft permitting further backward movement of the housing, and means to move and control the housing.

19. In a starter device, the combination, with an electric starter motor and its drive shaft, a toothed engine fiy-wheel, a supported arm, and an electrical circuit connected with the motor, of a sleeve rotatable and longitudinally movable on the drive shaft, the sleeve having a lug to rotate it, a pinion fixed on the sleeve to be thereby carried to the fly wheel, a housing rotated by the shaft and movable longitudinally thereon and having a lug to engage the lug on said sleeve on forward movement of the sleeve relatively to the housing, combined clutching and screwing apparatus in the housing controlled thereby and connected with the sleeve enabling the housing to clutch and push the sleeve nonrotatably to carry the pinion to the fly-wheel and alternatively to force the sleeve back upon increased rotary speed of the pinion and the sleeve following rotation of the pinion to rotate the fly-wheel, a controlling shifter movably supported by the arm and provided with means to yieldingly control the housing, and an electrical switch for said circuit controlled by said shifter to close the circuit for starting the motor upon engagement of the pinion with the fly-wheel.

2-0. In a starter device, the combination, with a motor and its drive shaft, and a toothed engine fly-wheel, the shaft having a stop shoulder, and a guide arm on the motor guiding the shaft, of a cylindrical housing having a head on one end splined to the main portion of the shaft and having also collars on the outer side of the housing, a controlling rod movably guided by the guide arm and having a collar fixed thereto in proximity to the base of the arm, a coil spring on the rod seated on the front side of the collar, a shifter head movably guided on the rod in contact with the spring and having a shifter arm thereon operating in connection with said collars to move the housing, a relatively weaker spring seated on the forward portion of'the guide arm and contacting with the shifter head, a sleeve movable on the drive shaft to or from said shoulder, and partially out of the housing to be rotated by the housing, a pinion fixed to the sleeve to be carried to the toothed fly-wheel to rotate the latter, and co-operating devices on the sleeve and in the housing to push out the sleeve and to withdraw the sleeve to said shoulder upon increased rotary speed of the fly-wheel.

21. The combination with a gear wheel to be driven, of a driving pinion, and means for rotating said pinion including a screwthreaded sleeve upon which said pinion is fixed for moving the pinion bodily into driving engagement with said gear wheel, the screw threads of said sleeve having a wedging surface for frictionally holding the pinion against rotation upon being moved towards driving engagement position and permitting retraction thereof by said threads upon its driven speed exceeding its driving speed. i

22. In a starter device, the combination of a rotary drive shaft, a pinion, a sleeve loosely supported on the shaft and carrying the pinion for cooperation with a gear wheel to be started thereby, a manually controlled housing splined to the shaft, interassociated push and screw devices between the housin and the sleeve operating to advance the sleeve to carry the pinion to the gear wheel and operating upon rotation of the wheel at increased speed to thrust the sleeve backward to carry the pinion from the wheel at high speed and rotating at a speed greater than its driving speed, and cooperating coupling devices for enabling the housing to rotate the sleeve when the pinion is positioned to start the wheel.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature 

